Enclosed pump head with air-cooled electric driving motor



July 20, 1954 F. E. DUNN 2,684,032

ENCLOSED PUMP HEAD WITH AIR-COOLED ELECTRIC DRIVING MOTOR Filed March 19, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TTOlP/YEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

l H'O/P/YEYS.

July 20, 1954 F. E. DUNN ENCLOSED PUMP HEAD WITH AIR-COOLEID ELECTRIC DRIVING MOTOR med March 19, 1949 fr rfa t1 Patented July 20, 1,7954

UNITED STATES A'ENT FFICE ENCLOSED PUMP HEAD WITH AIR-COOLED ELECTRIC DRIVING MOTOR diana Application March 19, 1949, Serial No. 82,340

2 Claims.

This invention relates to deep Well pumps and more particularly to deep Well pumps driven by an electric motor located at or adjacent ground level. In certain situations, as when the motor is located in a flood-prooi" housing or other relatively small enclosure, operation of the motor may be undcsirably restricted because or' the danger or" overheating. It is an object or this invention, therefore, to provide for the cooling oi welhpunip motor located in a closely ccnned space. Another object of the invention is to provide for the noodprooiing of an electric motor driving a well pump. Still another object of the invention to provide for a well-pump motor a iicodproof casing or enclosure which will require no material alteration of the motor itself.

In carrying out the invention in its preferred form, I support the motor on a base which is connected to the pump column or well pipe through which water is elevated from the Well by a pump located at or adjacent the foot of the column. The motor is disposed with its shaft vertical and connected to a pump driving shaft which extends downwardly through the pump column for operative connection to the pump. The motor which I prefer to employ incorporates a ian or blower by which air is circulated generally axially through the motor casing to prevent overheating of the motor, such air ordinarily entering the motor at the top and being discharged through one or more discharge ports at the bottom of the motor casing. For the purpose of cooling the air when the motor is located in a confined space, l mount adjacent the motor a heat-exchanging core having passages for cooling liquid and for the air to be cooled. The latter passages communicate with a shroud which surrounds the motor in the plane of the air-discharge ports so that air emerging from such ports is collected and forced through the heat-exchanging core to be cooled. The cooling fluid employed in the core is conveniently the Water elevated by the pump, such water after passingthrough the core conveniently being returned to the well. For a flood-proof installation, the motor and heat-exchanging core are enclosed within a housing hermetically connected to the base.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention: Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a well head incorporating my invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the head in partial section; and Fig. 3 is a iragmental view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modified construction.

In the arrangement illustratedin'Figs. 1 and'2, there is secured to the top of the Well `casing I0 an annular collar or flange ii. The collar ii is desirably welded to the top of the casing l0 in the field so as to effect a Water-tight joint. Above the flange il I provide a base structure comprising acentral sleeve i2 provided with upper and lower flanges i3 and is desirably Welded to or otherwise made integral with the sleeve i2. A gasket ."5 is interposed between the flanges it and li, and such nanges are secured together by means or an annular series of bolts l. The pump column i8 through which water from the Well is pumped upwardly is conveniently supported from the dang@ it of the base structure as by means oi screws i9. ln line with the pump column it, the flange lf3 is provided with an opening 2d through which the upwardly iiowing Water passes to the interior of the sleeve i2 to escape therefrom through a laterally arranged outlet nipple 2 I.

Centrally secured to the upper `flange i3 of the base structure is a motor support 23 upon the upper end of which 'the pump driving motor 2li is mounted. The motor 2c is disposed with its shait 25 arranged vertically and projecting below the motor Where it is connected hy a coupling 26 to a pump shaft 2l extending down- Wardly through the well column it to the pump (not shown) located at the bottom of such Well column. A stuing box 2B surrounds the shaft 2l at or adjacent the upper base-harige i3 in order to prevent the upward escape of Water from the sleeve i2 into the space above such baseange.

As previously indicated, the motor 2d is of a type provided with means for circulating air through the motor casing in order to prevent overheating. in the particular motor illustrated, air enters the inotor under the lip of a bell at the upper end of the motor, is forced downwardly through the motor by any appropriate air-impelling elements mounted on the motor shaft, and is discharged from the motor casing through one or more outlet openings 3i at the lower end of the casing. In accordance with my invention, the motor housing is surrounded in the plane of the openings 5i with a shroud 32 Whichserves to collect the air discharged from the openings 3! and to direct such air into a heat-exchanging core 33 supported in any convenient manner at employed in automobile radiators or automobilebody heaters, comprising upper and lower headers 37 and 38 interconnected by tubes 39 associated with which are heat-radiating iins 40 dening air passages through the core. One of the headers, conveniently the header 38,v is connected to the upper end of the well column or to the outlet nipple 2I while the other header 3'! is connected through the lower base-ange I4 with the interior of the well casing I0. In the particular arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, connection of the header 38 with the outlet nipple 2I is eliected through the medium of a hole extending through and appropriately 1ocated in the upper base-flange I3, opposite ends of such hole being provided respectively with fittings i2 and 43 connected by tubes 44 and 45 to the header 38 and outlet nipple ZI. If desired, a valve 45 may be interposed in the tube 45 to control circulation through the core. A second hole in the upper base-harige I3 receives at its opposite ends ittings 48 and 49, the former being connected through a tube 50 with the upper coreheader 37. Within the limits of the Well casing lil, the lower base-flange I4 is provided with a hole which receives a fitting 5I connected to the iitting iii by a tube 52. This method of effecting Huid-transmitting connections between points on opposite sides of the flange I3 is preferred to the use of a continuous conduit, as it simplifies assembly and disassembly and renders unnecessary the provision for a seal where such a conduit would pass through the iiange.

To complete iiood proong of the motor, I may employ an inverted cup-like housing 55 large enough to surround the motor 24 and core 33 while resting on the ange I3. To secure the housing in position, it is provided at its lower end with an integral, external, annular ange 56 which is adapted to be attached to the flange i3 by an annular series of bolts 51. A gasket 58 interposed between the flanges I3 and 56 prevents ingress o water at the joint. If desired, the housing 55 may have a lateral extension 60 of smaller diameter through which access may be had, as for the purpose of adjusting a lubricating means 6I, without the necessity of removing the entire housing from the base. If the extension 60 is employed, it is provided with a removable closure G2 held in place by any suitable means such as a removable collar 63. Conveniently, the closure 52 is a glass disk mounted between compressible gaskets 64 so that conditions within the housing may be observed.

With the housing 55 in place, the motor is effectively flood proofed. If the collar E I is welded to or integral with the well casing I0, the well itself is also flood prooi. If desired, the housing 55 may be provided with a valved tting G6 through which air under pressure can be introduced into the housing when it is submerged in order to insure that any leakage which occurs will be an outward leakage of air rather than an inward leakage of water.

modified form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 is essentially the same as that previously described roept for the fact that it is adapted for use with a pump column I8 having an underground discharge (not shown). In this arrangement, the well column is suspended from the lower base-flange I4 as before, such baseiiange being provided with a central opening 20' through which water may enter the base-sleeve I2'. In this instance, the conduit 45 and valve 46 through which water is supplied to the heatexchanger 33 are connected directly to the interior of the sleeve I2'. Conveniently, such connection is effected by making the sleeve I2 of larger diameter than the motor support 23 and by providing the upper base-flange I3 within the limits of the sleeve l2 with an opening 'I5 to which the valve 46 is connected. Water is conveyed from the heat-exchanger 33 through the tubes 50 and 52 as before; but in this instance, since the base is not directly associated with the well casing, the tube 52 merely extends downwardly through a hole in the flange I4' for connection therebelow to the well casing or some other disposal channel.

In each structure illustrated, current for operating the motor 24 is supplied thereto by a cable 'I0 which conveniently passes through the upper base-flange I3 (or I3) and has there associated with it an appropriate seal II.

As will be obvious from the above description, in either of the modifications illustrated, air within the housing 55 circulates through the motor to cool it and then through the heat-eX- changer 33 to be itself cooled. Heat removed from the air in the heat-exchanger 33 is transmitted to the water circulating therethrough, the heated water being returned to the well. Because of the continuous removal of the heat generated in operation of the motor 24, such motor can operate indeiinitely without danger of overheating.

While my invention is primarily intended to permit flood proofing of a well-pump motor, certain advantages can be gained from its employment even if fiood proofing is not desired. For example, the head without the housing 55 might be located in a small pit or other conflned space in which normal air circulation is inadequate to insure cooling of the motor over long periods of operation. Obviously, the air-cooling means including the heat-exchanger 33 will function to cool air in the vicinity of the motor even in the absence of the housing 55.

I claim as my invention:

1. A head for a well having a casing and a well pump discharge column, flange secured in sealed relation to said casing, a base removably secured to said flange and including a liquidtight sleeve in open communication with said pump discharge column and adapted to be filled with well water elevated through said column, a liquid-tight housing removably secured in sealed relation to said base, a motor supported from said base within said housing and operatively connected to a pump-shaft extending downwardly through said pump discharge column, said motor having openings for the inlet and discharge of cooling air, a heat-exchanging core within the housing, one of said openings communicating with the interior of said housing and the other with said core, said base having an opening communicating with said casing and means for conducting water from the interior of said sleeve to said core and for returning such water from the core to the opening in said base.

2. In combination with a well pump discharge column having a pump-shaft therein, a base at the upper end of said column, said base being provided with a liquid-tight chamber having open communication with the interior of said discharge column to be filled with water elevated therethrough, said chamber having an upper wall provided with an opening through and above which said shaft extends, sealing means for preventing the escape of water through said opening about said shaft, said base including an outwardly extending ange near its upper end, an electric motor mounted on said base and having a shaft above and coaxial with said pump shaft, coupling means for interconnecting said two shafts, said motor having inlet and outlet openings for cooling air, a heat-exchanging core, means for collecting heated air discharged from said outlet openings and conveying it to said core, a Water-supply conduit having one end thereof in open communication with said chamber and having its other end in open communication with said core to provide a passage for flow of Well Water from said chamber to the core, a waterreturn conduit connected to said core, and an open-bottomed, liquid-tight housing enclosing the motor and core and secured to said flange in sealed relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,306,736 Linville Dec. 29, 1942 2,385,105 Samelson Sept. 18, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 209,606 Great Britain Jan. 17, 1924 

